Queenstown Airport 2032
A parallel taxiway, another aircraft parking stand, runway safety improvements, and the relocation of helicopter and fixed wing aircraft are among $350 million of changes planned for Queenstown Airport.
Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) has today launched its draft Master Plan for public consultation.
The 60-page plan sets out what the Frankton aerodrome will look like by 2032 and beyond, as QAC attempts to maximise efficiency to enable a 33% increase in passenger movements (arrivals and departures), from the current 2.3 million per year to 3.2m.
That will see more than 4000 more scheduled flight movements, increasing from 17,900 to 22,112. There'll also be 7000 more non-scheduled flight movements and a 15% increase in the size of the terminal, from 18,000sqm to 21,0000sq.
Many of those numbers were released in the 10-year Strategic Plan, which was approved by majority shareholder Queenstown Lakes District Council back in September.
"The [master] plan brings our strategic vision to life and provides the framework for an innovative airport that will continue to serve the region well," QAC Board Chair Adrienne Young-Cooper says.
The key projects proposed in the draft Master Plan include:
- constructing a parallel taxiway to improve the efficiency of the airfield and to reduce emissions on the ground and in the air
- constructing an extra aircraft parking stand, bringing the total to nine stands
- relocating general aviation activities away from the main residential area of Frankton, with helicopters consolidated north of the runway and fixed-wing aircraft in a new precinct south of the runway, along with corporate / private jets
- enhancing the safety of the runway by installing new technology, with engineered materials arresting systems (EMAS) at each end
- building a new base for the Airport Emergency Service
- extending and modernising the terminal
- creating better passenger flow and land transport connections, prioritising active and public transport networks
The last time QAC proposed major changes to the Frankton aerodrome, it created a public backlash which still reverberates to this day.
Back in 2018, under former chief executive Colin Keel, QAC announced plans to expand its noise boundaries to provide for a planned 5.1m passenger movements per year by 2045, and 41,600 flight movements.
QAC received more than 1500 responses during public consultation, with 90% opposed to the plans. It eventually shelved the idea and explored a dual-airport model with Wānaka. QLDC granted QAC a 100-year lease on Wānaka Airport, but that was legally challenged by locals under the banner of Wānaka Stakeholders Group, and deemed unlawful by the High Court.
Under new QAC chief executive Glen Sowry, who's been in the hot seat two years, QAC has made a commitment to operate within its existing noise boundaries for at least 10 years. The increase in flights is, in part, made possible by quieter aircraft.
He says the passenger and flight increases are modest, incremental at a 3.2% compound annual growth rate, and in line with projected population growth.
QAC chief executive Glen Sowry
QAC has talked to a "broad range of people from across the region" while creating the masterplan, he says.
"We are mindful of the importance of balancing aeronautical activity with both the capacity of regional infrastructure and preserving what makes the region a special place to live, work and visit."
QAC also supports the plans for the resort to be carbon-zero by 2030, although Sowry says electric, hydrogen or fully SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) trans-Tasman flights are at least a few decades away yet.
There will be space for smaller electric planes next to the fixed wing and corporate jet terminal beyond 2032. Sowry says he doesn't expect a "material increase" in the number of corporate jets landing at Queenstown over the coming decade.
The Master Plan also prioritises active travel and public transport links.
"We’re also proposing a new green link that will connect the terminal to cycle trails and down to the proposed ferry jetty on Lake Whakatipu."
Young-Cooper says the aviation sector is on the verge of global changes, focused on decarbonisation and innovative technology.
"It is, therefore, important to have a Master Plan for an airport is future-ready and continues to contribute to the social and economic wellbeing of the region over the long term," she says.
Despite the total cost, $350m, Young-Cooper says QAC will be able to continue to pay dividends to its shareholders, QLDC (75.01%) and Auckland International Airport Limited (24.99%), while managing its debt.
Future development will be staged and each step subject to approval by the board of directors, as well as any required shareholder and regulatory approvals before any capital investment is made.
Public consultation on the draft Master Plan is open until 23 June and is being done in consultation with the Queenstown Lakes District Council, via its Let's Talk consultation page.
More information about the plan and consultation process can be found on Queenstown Airport’s website.
Pop-up information sessions will also be held at public locations around Southern Lakes Region over the next month. A lunchtime webinar for the public will be held on 31 May.
“We encourage everyone to learn about our plans and to give us feedback,” Sowry says.
“We want to know what your vision for the airport is, what you like and what you would like to see change to ensure Queenstown Airport best meets the needs of the region and our communities in the decades ahead.”
Founded in 1935, Queenstown is New Zealand’s fourth busiest airport by passenger numbers, with daily scheduled flights from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and the east coast of Australia.
